The ASU Libraries adopted a radically different strategic plan in July 1996. Called "UL 2000: The Customer-Driven Enterprise," this document outlined steps in a new direction for this organization, shifting to a view of the enterprise that places the customer in a partnership role with us. As stated on the preface, we pledged to "seek a major paradigm change, expanding our focus beyond the business at hand to encompass the reason for that business, the customer."

In the three years since UL 2000, survey data has been accessible to us from our own and others' surveys and it is used in this document to form the basis for many of the strategies and baseline numbers that follow.

Many accomplishments have been reported on the progress of the initiatives, goals and strategies of UL 2000. As an organization, we have made many steps toward achieving our partnership with our customers, identifying their needs and assessing how well we meet them. We have also begun to use outcome measures as well as other types of performance measures and relating decisions to the principle of added value for customers.

We have maintained our focus on the philosophy of working "within the context of University priorities to prepare our customers to seek information successfully wherever it is, whatever format it exists in; to help them learn the skills and behaviors necessary to conduct inquiry and research in any life situation."

In addition to making progress on strategic initiatives during the past three years, customers and library staff have faced new challenges, primarily the switch from CARL to III. The physical changeover has been difficult and time-consuming, and we have not yet fully assessed the impact of this change on our customers' information seeking behavior - particularly when the rich resources of the library are available from any computer anywhere. The three initiative areas below represent the directions we are addressing based on the priorities identified by the data we have in hand and are planning to collect.

During a one and one-half day retreat in September, 1998, the Strategic Planning Council reviewed the internal and external environment, planning assumptions, and progress on UL 2000 goals. During subsequent work on this review, we analyzed the interactions possible between internal strengths and weaknesses and external opportunities and strengths. A general consensus was reached to examine further our efforts in marketing, instruction, staff training and collect more data on specific issues, such as the causes of customer frustration.

The Council also reaffirmed our core organizational values and this activity was isolated and turned into a workshop which was made available to all staff members for participation. One hundred sixty-six staff members attended in eight workshops, held in October and December. Of the five organizational values that were selected by the SPC during the retreat, four were also selected by a majority of the staff in the workshops.

The four values selected by all were:

adaptability (being flexible and changing in response to new circumstances)

cooperation (being cooperative and working well with others)

creativity (developing new ideas and applying innovative approaches)

fairness (being fair and providing just recognition based on merit)

The fifth value selected by the SPC was initiative (seizing opportunity and taking responsibility without hesitation) and staff members commented that, not being administrators, they felt this was not appropriate behavior. However, several did select autonomy (being independent and free to act); the fifth value selected by the staff was moral integrity (being honorable and following ethical principles)

The "Vision 2000" which we formed during the previous planning retreat and which was confirmed by staff participation still holds: The customer is at the center of the enterprise and quality service is at the heart of our consciousness; we continue our efforts to build and preserve that part of the intellectual heritage for which we are responsible; we are agile, versatile and a great place to work.

The University Libraries' Mission, our definition and philosophy of customer service, and our commitment to serving our customers well have not changed since the last plan. During a review of accomplishments since UL 2000, results of our own and others' surveys, and the outcomes from the Strategic Planning Council retreat, three major initiative areas were identified for UL 2003:

1. Remove Barriers:

   Remove customers' frustrations, improve customers' success in finding information.

   
   
2. Incorporate Electronic Resources:

   Continuously improve existing procedures/structure to successfully incorporate electronic resources into daily routine.

   
   
3. Collections:

   Guarantee the most responsible selection of materials and patterns of expenditure that will maximize the value of the Libraries' collections to our customers.

Return to Table of Contents

Next Page